


all we need is just to be

by thotsandfeelings



Category: The West Wing
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Post-Series, yes I wrote more sleepiness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-31
Updated: 2020-08-31
Packaged: 2021-03-06 19:15:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 846
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26213968
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thotsandfeelings/pseuds/thotsandfeelings
Summary: A moment on Air Force One.
Relationships: Josh Lyman/Donna Moss
Comments: 5
Kudos: 120





	all we need is just to be

“Lou, I swear to God, if you don’t just-“

“Hey,” she interrupts with her hand facing him, “I’m not the one who ran his mouth  _again_.”

Josh rolls his eyes and his hand falls gently to the body laying across his lap. They’re on Air Force One, somewhere over Kansas or Nebraska or something, and Donna had fallen asleep about an hour ago. She, Josh, and Lou, had been discussing a leak that happened over a bill they were trying to get into committee. Donna had tuned out almost immediately, but Josh and Lou were still going at it.

“Should you move her?” Lou asks, directing her glance at Donna’s head as Josh runs his fingers through her hair. “That doesn’t look very comfortable.”

Josh looks down. Donna’s head is on his lap, facing his body. Her legs are curled practically to her chin to make room for Lou at the end of the couch. Her hair is spilling over her face, so he moves it back behind her ear and over her shoulder. It’s a lot longer now and he loves the way it runs through his fingers like water.

“Nah, she always curls up like a cat. You should’ve seen her on the first Bartlet campaign,” he chuckles.

In the early days, when they had to sleep on the bus, he’d find Donna passed out against various surfaces. Her arms wrapped around Josh’s lumpy bookbag while she slept against the window, or tucked tight into a corner while Sam and Toby argued loudly on both sides of her, or his personal favorite: on his own shoulder.

When they got to the White House, he’d found her asleep in his leather chair in his office one night, her legs crossed and her head bent toward his desk, a neat stack of books from his shelves being used as a pillow.

Since they’ve been together the past year, it’s even better. She’ll come keep him company in his office during a late night, her eyes drooping heavily as she fights sleep to help him work through an issue the West Wing is dealing with, normally twisted around him on his couch or on his lap in his chair. She once nodded off while they were dancing together at some function after she’d been awake for over 36 hours. Josh just held her up and kept swaying softly until the song was over before he had to wake her again. Donna curling up on his lap on Air Force One is nothing.

Lou shrugs and stands anyway, stretching and grabbing her jacket off the chair across from them.

“I’m gonna call Sam and see what he thinks.”

Josh just nods, still looking down at Donna.

“‘kay,” he says. “We’ll talk more tomorrow. It’s late, and frankly, I’m sick of the sound of your voice.”

Lou snorts. “Yeah,” she says and walks away, leaving Josh alone with his sleeping girlfriend. He continues to run his fingers through her hair, massaging her scalp softly. She shifts a little and moves her arm to wrap more firmly around his leg.

“Hey,” Josh whispers and he sees her eyes flutter a little. “You know, we have a room on the plane now. We don’t have to suffer in the cheap seats anymore.”

She whines a little and he smiles, rubbing his thumb across her cheek fondly. “You’re comfy,” she mumbles and snuggles deeper into him.

“Donna,” he says and shakes her shoulder a little. “At least let me lay down with you.”

She sits up with her eyes still closed and he laughs softly at the sleep lines on her face from his pants. Josh shifts until he’s laying on his back across the couch and he pulls her back down onto his chest. She reaches up to pat his cheek and he takes the hint, leaning down to kiss her softly. He runs his hands down her back, gently working out some small knots in her shoulders and he kisses her again.

Donna hums happily and moves her hand off his cheek to hook over his shoulder. She buries her face into his neck and hitches a leg up on his waist.

“Good?” he asks softly, still running his hands up and down her back soothingly.

She nods her head against him. “Good.” Her nails sneak into the open collar of his shirt, needing some skin to skin contact no matter how small, and she finally stills.

“I love you, honey,” she murmurs. “Let Lou take care of your big mouth.”

Josh huffs. Of course she’d still been listening to their conversation while half asleep. He doesn’t argue with her, though.

“I will,” he whispers. “Go to sleep.”

“You love me, too?”

“Yes,” he says, kissing her forehead. “I love you, too.”

“Good,” she breathes and he smiles.

He reaches behind him blindly to turn off the lamp above his head and settles into the couch, wrapping his arms firmly around Donna and letting the whir of the engines and her even breathing take him to the land of dreams. 


End file.
